Uber had started its operation in Singapore for quite some time. The review has been mixed, so I decided to give it a try and do my own comparison.
UberX is said to be the cheapest of the Uber series of services provided so it obviously became my No. 1 candidate for the comparison.
First, I hailed a Comfort taxi outside my office during lunch time, and went to a nearby sports complex. We were not so lucky that day, as we hit multiple traffic lights, and waited the maximum wait time. At the end, the trip cost me $6.50.
Then on another day, I got myself a UberX car, also during lunch time, from my office to the same sports complex. The wait time for the car to come was 4 minutes. The ride was smooth, and the driver took the exact same route as the Comfort taxi, but we were a bit more lucky this time, and didn't get stopped by traffic lights so often. The trip cost me $6.80.
At first glance, we may conclude that UberX is more expensive than taxi, but then as you think about it, if you call a taxi, you need to pay additional ~$3.20, factoring in this cost, the total taxi fare would have been $6.50 + $3.20 = $9.70. In this case, UberX is cheaper.
However, the not so good side of UberX is that you don't know how much your journey will cost before hand. Their rate is based on real time demand. If you are unlucky, you may end up with a much more expensive journey and it will really shock you.
Which one is better? It is up to your own decision. I probably will be more conservative and hail a cab, as I won't be surprised by a huge bill.
UberX is said to be the cheapest of the Uber series of services provided so it obviously became my No. 1 candidate for the comparison.
First, I hailed a Comfort taxi outside my office during lunch time, and went to a nearby sports complex. We were not so lucky that day, as we hit multiple traffic lights, and waited the maximum wait time. At the end, the trip cost me $6.50.
Then on another day, I got myself a UberX car, also during lunch time, from my office to the same sports complex. The wait time for the car to come was 4 minutes. The ride was smooth, and the driver took the exact same route as the Comfort taxi, but we were a bit more lucky this time, and didn't get stopped by traffic lights so often. The trip cost me $6.80.
At first glance, we may conclude that UberX is more expensive than taxi, but then as you think about it, if you call a taxi, you need to pay additional ~$3.20, factoring in this cost, the total taxi fare would have been $6.50 + $3.20 = $9.70. In this case, UberX is cheaper.
However, the not so good side of UberX is that you don't know how much your journey will cost before hand. Their rate is based on real time demand. If you are unlucky, you may end up with a much more expensive journey and it will really shock you.
Which one is better? It is up to your own decision. I probably will be more conservative and hail a cab, as I won't be surprised by a huge bill.
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